Shoulder injuries can be a great detriment to everyday activities we do. We don’t know how much we take our shoulder for granted until we lose the ability to use it.  Taking care of your shoulder, like the rest of your body, is like taking care of your car. You have to change its oil, rotate its tires, wash it once in a while (especially if you live in Southern California where there is very little rain), change the battery, etc.  You have to take of it. Same with your body; treat your body like a temple, and it will return the favor.

In saying this, did you know that things like sitting can give you shoulder pain? You heard me right; SITTING. Everyone does it; especially all of you who have desk jobs. Commonly when people sit, their shoulders fall forward, their heads fall forward and over time, this can lead to shoulder pain. This can also lead into a dangerous cycle of injury.  You have shoulder pain, and you don’t want to use your shoulder because of the pain. Not using your shoulder can lead to more pain. Then you don’t want to use your shoulder even more. Get the drift? If not corrected, shoulder pain can lead to more serious issues that can take months to recover from.

Enter Physical Therapy. These sorts of injuries are Physical Therapist’s bread and butter. Physical Therapists will talk to you about your injuries, take measurements and develop a very specific Physical Therapy program just for you.  Physical Therapists will educate you on how to stretch and strengthen the right muscles to fix your shoulder as well as how to sit properly…yes, there is a way to sit properly. They will also give you exercises to do at home that you will perform outside of Physical Therapy. You may feel funky performing these stretches and exercises at first, but remember, treat your body like a temple (or a car) and over time your body will return the favor.